Obama Responds to Trump’s Explosive Accusations Over Russia Probe Origins

Former President Barack Obama issued a rare public statement Tuesday night, strongly denying explosive claims made earlier that day by Donald Trump, who alleged that Obama personally orchestrated the origins of the controversial Trump–Russia investigation.

Trump, speaking from the Oval Office during a meeting with the president of the Philippines, accused his predecessor of being the “mastermind” behind what he described as a politically motivated effort to undermine his 2016 presidential victory. Trump’s remarks followed the release of newly declassified documents by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, which purport to show high-level coordination among top Obama-era officials to create the foundation for the yearslong Russia collusion probe.

“This was President Obama’s idea,” Trump stated. “He was in the room. So was Biden. So was Comey, Brennan, Clapper, McCabe—the whole group. They were all there.”

The former president’s office, which typically refrains from engaging with Trump’s frequent accusations, responded through spokesman Patrick Rodenbush, saying the allegations were not only false but too outrageous to ignore.

“Out of respect for the institution of the presidency, we usually avoid commenting on the steady stream of misinformation coming from this administration,” the statement read. “However, the claims made today are so baseless and bizarre, they warrant a response.”

“These allegations are absurd and clearly intended as a political distraction,” Rodenbush continued. “Nothing in the documents released last week undermines the widely accepted conclusion that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 election. These findings were confirmed in the 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report led by Senator Marco Rubio.”

The documents released by Gabbard, however, have ignited a fierce debate in Washington. According to Gabbard, the evidence shows that after Donald Trump’s unexpected 2016 win, top officials in the Obama administration—including members of the National Security Council, intelligence leadership, and the Department of Justice—deliberately exaggerated or manipulated intelligence to suggest Russia played a central role in Trump’s victory.

Among the names listed in the declassified materials are former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Secretary of State John Kerry, former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe and others were also reportedly involved.

Gabbard described the release as the first in a series of disclosures. “What we’re seeing here is not just a political operation—it’s the weaponization of intelligence,” she said. “Officials used their power to create a narrative they knew had no basis in verified intelligence.”

On Monday, she submitted a formal criminal referral to the Department of Justice based on the contents of the newly declassified documents. While the DOJ has yet to comment on the referral or who specifically is being investigated, the move adds new fuel to the fire of longstanding accusations of misconduct related to the early days of the Russia investigation.

Trump, asked to name who he believes should be investigated, did not hesitate: “President Obama. He started it,” he told reporters. “This was his plan, and Hillary Clinton was part of it. She’s the one who paid for that phony dossier.”

Trump was referring to the Steele dossier, a controversial document compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele. The dossier was commissioned by the law firm Perkins Coie on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign. Although much of the dossier has since been discredited, it was used in 2016 to obtain surveillance warrants against Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

“The Steele report was full of lies and made-up garbage,” Trump said. “They knew it was fake, but they used it anyway to launch the investigation. Two years and millions of dollars later, it turns out it was all fiction.”

According to Fox News, the intelligence community was already skeptical of the dossier’s credibility at the time, viewing it as largely unverified and in some parts based on rumors sourced from internet forums. Despite that, several top officials allegedly insisted the dossier be included in official intelligence assessments in early 2017.

Trump also suggested more revelations are on the way. “Tulsi told me there are thousands more documents coming,” he said. “We already have all the proof we need, but the American people deserve to see everything.”

As the political and legal fallout unfolds, both sides appear to be digging in for another fight over the truth behind the Russia investigation—this time, with fresh evidence and renewed public interest.